Gender Differences

[DFWRusty]

Parentastic- That pic was more in light humor than anything else.
I know that the pic offended you, and that you dont like the stereotype that men are simpler than women. How ever, in my life experiences which is in a very stong blue collar area of the U.S. that is a very true thing. It may not mean that men aren't capable of such complex thinking, it's just that I would say in a 4 out of 5 cases that statement would hold it's weight in this area.

Although I have 0 time spent reading up on this subject, I have had a very strong social life (most ages ranging from 18 to 30) for as long as I can remember, and I have met many upon many people in very social environments. I have a lot of friends that are girls and even more friends that are guys! I suppose the old saying of "men are as simple as a light switch" is probably a little retarded, how ever, in my experiences a lot of times guys do tend to be of a more simple mind set. It isn't that the mental capacity for such complex thoughts isn't there, it's just a life choice that many males I know make to keep from such afflictions and drama associated with such complex thinking.

I have also learned through these social experiences that a trigger for the complex mind set of the females in my area, is triggered by the environment and setting in which they live in. Many of these thoughts are triggered by low self esteem, the need for acceptance amongst their peers, a vague direction in what career choice they want, influences from friends, the need for companionship, family stress... etc... etc... Which like I said keep in mind I am talking to you from what might be the biggest blue collar state in the U.S., which is in it's self probably outside the norm.

What I was trying to get at in the last paragraph, is that although men may go through the same challenges and triumphs, that women in my area tend to analyze these situations more, tend to be more verbal about these issues then men, and will appear to be affected by these problems more. That is where I believe that these stereotypes of women are more complicated than men. It's not that men dont experience these same thoughts or same troubles, but that men typically ( at least in my area) choose to not think about these things as much.


As far as the workforce goes-
believe it or not, Texas has a large amount of women doing jobs that would typically be seen as men's jobs!
Idk if any of you know what a roughneck is (google it, has to do with the oil industry), but in the last few years I have been seeing more roughneck sally's than ever (female roughnecks).

And the industry I make my living from, many of these big companies, have female plant man

[MomoJA]

Originally Posted by alter ego

in our family there are no differences between the genders.
We all have tasks, which are by ability, not gender (infact my oldest son is better at the laundry than our oldest daughter)
We dont have any specific differences, rather than our own little quirks that make us individuals

I see this as making no differences between the sexes, and I would hope that would be the norm in any household.

But are there differences? Not in the way we should be treated, but in our make-up? I believe there are, and I celebrate that. I am thankful for the differences. It makes life exciting, and it makes me appreciate men for being men just as I appreciate women for being women.

Each of us is unique in ways that have nothing to do with our sex, of course, but in addition I think that females are different from males in similar ways and vice versa. Now if you asked me to define those differences, I would find it very difficult to do, but as a woman, I know that I am different from men. I know that I am different from everyone else in the world, but I know that there is something in my make-up that makes me distinctly a woman and that something is not insignificant. I wouldn't give it up in this life for anything.

Again, I think the best demonstration of this is cross gender individuals. They know that there is something inately female or male, and they identify that in themselves. It's something in their make-ups regardless of their anatomy, etc.

[SuapaJulia]

I do think there should be a separation of gender. Because some things are better suited for men like construction work. Not to say a women can't be construction workers. But realistically a petite women like myself just wouldn't do as good as a overweight male who might be out of shape but is capable of lifting way more.

[malevolent]

No, they should be treated equally. There are no differences in men and women on a bell curve

[bssage]

Nuff Said??

[alter ego]

I disagree! I only own a few pairs of shoes - sneakers for the gym/running, sandles for the rest of the time, 1 pair of heels

[holbo]

First of all:
Yes, men and women are different. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to discuss, weither this is true or not, because it´s a fact. Look at men and women. Can you honestly say that there are no common features according to their gender?

You could argue that these differences may be biological or cultural or whatever, but that the differences are there is really not a question.

Another matter is, weither it should influence how we treat girls and boys respectively and for the most part I would say that we shouldn´t. We should first and foremost treat them as the children they are, not the gender they have.

Having said that, I also believe that there are a few issues where we need to take the gender into consideration...

[Antoinette]

i think this argument has been played out so many times it isn't even funny.

i agree with both arguments yes, men and woman are different but does that mean we should treat children differently bases on gender and the roles society has placed upon that gender? i don't think so.

i believe you should treat a child in a way that most benefit's that child. if you have a son that loves barbies and baby dolls than you should buy him barbies and baby dolls just as if your girl enjoys playing with trucks and climbing trees than you should encourage her to do that but if your child (as many do) does fall into a gender stereotype and enjoy playing with toys and doing activities that are deemed as stereotypical for their gender it isn't fair to discourage that either.

i don't know how many times i have posted this sentence which is quoted from just about EVERY well known child theorist but "all children are different and unique, no one child will enjoy ALL of the same toys/activities as another child not will they grow or develop at the same rate"

in short when you are a parent you realize that no matter what your opinions on child raising are pre parenthood; you need to cherish your child for every aspect whether they are gender specific or not as that child is a part of you and you will want them to grow up to be independent and happy and really it is our role as parents to keep our children safe and guide them in the best ways we can to help them grow into fully functioning, happy and independent adults.

i know i didn't really answer the question but i had to put my 2 cents worth in lol

[holbo]

Originally Posted by Antoinette

i believe you should treat a child in a way that most benefit's that child.

Antoinette, you have elaborated my view most effectively!

This is exactly my point: every child is different and should be treated differently. Not according to gender, but according to who that child is. It really doesn´t have to be more complicated than that.

Of course theory and practice are not the same and there will be issues where you need to take gender into consideration. What I mean by this is that gender could be a sort of handle to help you walk in the right direction without having to fail more than nescessary.

Let me give you an example:

I have two boys and two girls. When I tell my boys that they look good in the clothes they´re wearing they are polite and they say "thank you," but I can also see in their eyes that they´re thinking "who kidnapped my father and replaced him with an alien from outer space?"

When I say the same to my girls, they light up in a big smile and give me a hug saying "thank you" whole heartedly.

Why this difference? I believe it has to do with gender. My girls need their father to tell them that they´re beautiful and my boys need their mother to tell them that they´re attractive. My wife and I can never replace each other´s importance to our children of the opposite sex.

[Antoinette]

i have 1 boy and 1 girl and i also can already see differences in them and one of these differences is gender but another one is that Felix likes to have his hair brushed and Alegra will start to scream as soon she see's the brush. or Alegra loves mud and Felix doesn't like the sensation of it on his skin; or Felix loves to climb trees outside where as Alegra will sit under the tree with her dolls. this isn't about gender it is just about them and their personalities.